1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic devices, such as portable telephones and pagers, which comprise as housed in a casing a vibration generator, and more particularly to a construction to support a motor which constitutes a vibration generator.
2. Description of the Related Art
With reference to FIG. 1, a portable telephone comprises a casing 1 formed by a front case 11 and a rear case 12. A display 13 and manual keys 14 are provided on the front case 11. The casing 1 has a vibration generator 2 for notifying the user of incoming calls disposed in its interior. The vibration generator 2 in general comprises an eccentric weight member 21 attached to the output shaft of a motor 22.
The conventional portable telephone, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, had a construction that a motor 22 of a vibration generator 2 is placed into a bracket 6 made from silicone rubber, holding the bracket 6 in a casing 1, to have a vibration generator 2 installed in the casing 1. The bracket 6 comprises a prism-shaped body 61 having a through hole 62 in which the motor 22 of the vibration generator 2 is fitted. A peripheral wall defining the through hole 62 is formed with a slit 63 cut over the whole length of the body 61.
In assembling the portable telephone described, firstly, the motor 22 of the vibration generator 2 is enclosed in the through hole 62 of the bracket 6. In this process, the slit 63 of the bracket 6 is widened, to have the motor 22 pushed into the through hole 62 through the slit 63. The bracket 6, thereafter, is inserted into a bracket chamber (not shown) by a press fit formed within the casing 1. This enables the inner periphery of the bracket 6 to come into pressing contact with the outer periphery of the motor 22, to have the motor 22 secured.
A pair of lead wires 23, 24 are connected on the rear end face of the motor 22 to supply a drive current. When the motor 22 is placed into the through hole 62 of the bracket 6, the rotating angle posture of the motor 22 is adjusted in the bracket 6 in order that the pair of lead wires 23, 24 turns to a predetermined direction. This enables the pair of lead wires 23, 24 to extend toward the position of a socket without the interference with the other members (for example, the wall of the bracket chamber).
With the above construction that the vibration generator 2 is supported with the bracket 6 provided, the bracket 6 serves as a cushion to prevent the noise, etc. generated by the operation of the vibration generator 2.
However, with the supporting construction using the conventional bracket 6, as shown in FIG. 9, when the motor 22 of the vibration generator 2 is held in the through hole 62 of the bracket 6, the bracket 6 has an opening on a slit 63 and is free to be widened, so that the outer periphery of the motor 22 is not so stably held in pressing contact that the motor 22 turns easily in the bracket 6 even with the small external force exerted.
Accordingly, in the process for inserting the bracket 6 into the bracket chamber by a press fit, there is likelihood that the motor 22 changes its posture in rotating angle. This will lead the pair of lead wires 23, 24 extending from the rear end face of the motor 22 to turn its direction. A problem is encountered in that if the bracket 6 is inserted into a bracket chamber by a press fit with the wires left in the direction, the lead wires 23, 24 will interfere with the other members.
With the construction that the bracket 6 is not formed with the slit 63 and the through hole 62 is only provided, the inner periphery of the bracket 6 is held in pressing contact with the outer periphery of the motor 22 with the sufficient force even before the bracket 6 being inserted into the bracket chamber by a press fit to obviate the change of the rotating angle posture of the motor 22. However, it is extremely difficult to insert the motor 22 into the through hole 62 of the bracket 6.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device wherein a vibration generator is supported with a bracket provided in the interior of a casing, and to provide a supporting construction that the vibration generator is placed into the bracket with ease, and the motor of the vibration generator is unlikely to change its posture in rotating angle easily in the bracket during the process for the bracket being placed into the casing.
The invention provides an electronic device which comprises a vibration generator 2 having an eccentric weight member 21 attached to the output shaft of a motor 22 disposed in the interior of a casing 1. The motor 22 is accommodated into a bracket 4 made from elastic material, and the bracket 4 is held in the casing 1. The bracket 4 comprises a prism-shaped body 41. The body 41 has a central portion formed with a through hole 42 in which the motor 22 is tightly fitted. A peripheral wall defining the through hole 42 is formed with a slit 42 cut completely through the wall from one end face of the body 41 and extending to a central portion of the body 41 for a specified distance.
In the assembling process of the electronic device of the invention, when the motor 22 of the vibration generator 2 is accommodated into the through hole 42 of the bracket 4, since the bracket 4 is formed with the slit 43, the slit 43 is widened to have the one end of the through hole 42 opened widely, whereby the motor 22 can be inserted further inwardly through the opening into the through hole 42 with great ease.
Further, with the motor 22 accommodated into the through hole 42 of the bracket 4, the bracket 4 is closed in the region wherein the slit 43 is not provided, so that the inner periphery of the bracket 4 is tightly held in pressing contact with the outer periphery of the motor 22 in the region, obviating the change of the rotating angle posture of the motor 22.
Stated specifically, a projection 44 to contact with an end face of the motor 22 is formed on one end portion of the bracket 4 with the slit 43 provided. With this specific construction, the end face of the motor 22 contacts with the projection 44, whereby the motor 22 can be axially positioned relative to the bracket 4.
With the electronic device of the invention, the vibration generator is accommodated into the bracket with great ease, and the motor of the vibration generator in the bracket is unlikely to change its posture in rotating angle easily during the process for the bracket being placed into the casing.